[ effect of Sweden massage on hypertension]

ABSTRACT

One of the most important current health problems is hypertension. Many hypertensive patients die or become disabled every -year due to the complications of this disease. The first step in the treatment of this disease is lifestyle modification. Sweden massage as a kind of alternative medicine is a method for changing lifestyle. This study aimed to assess the effect of Sweden massage on blood pressure of hypertensive patients. In this semi-experimental study 30 individuals [15 males and 15 females] in the age range of 45-55 years were chosen with simple sampling method. Half an hour Sweden massage was performed in the mornings for back [17 minutes], neck [6 minutes], and chest [7 minutes] and blood pressure was measured and registered before and after the massage. The results showed that Sweden massage reduced the systolic and diastolic blood pressures of study subjects in each session [p<0.0001]. This study recommends using Sweden massage as a non-medical method of treatment in hypertensive patients without any adverse effect